News
Release
Released: March 1, 2007
Contact: Brian Lassaline (734) 247-7274
Detroit Metro Airport Wins Multiple Awards
~ DTW recognized for leadership and innovation at the 2007 Airport Revenue News Awards
MARCH 1, 2007 DETROIT, MI: Airport Revenue News, a leading industry trade journal, recently announced the winners of its 2007 Best Concessions Poll, and once again Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) rose to the top of the list. The airport is extremely proud to have received the following honors:
• 1st Place - Airport with the Best Overall Concession Program – McNamara Terminal
• 1st Place - Airport with the Best Concessions Management Team – McNamara Terminal
• 1st Place - Airport with the Best Overall Concession Program Design – McNamara Terminal
• 1st Place - Airport with the Most Unique Services
DTW was also proud to receive a 2nd Place finish for:
• 2nd Place - Airport with the Best Customer Service – McNamara Terminal
Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Lester Robinson, was also presented with ARN’s prestigious, Best Director of the Year award at the ceremony.
In addition to the airport category awards, ARN also recognized many of DTW’s individual concession operators for their accomplishments. Delaware North Companies, which operates several retail and food & beverage locations at DTW, received top honors for Thee Irish / Guinness Pub and Fuddruckers located on Concourses B & C, respectively, at DTW’s McNamara Terminal. Both restaurants were named Best New Food & Beverage Concepts and The Irish / Guinness Pub also received a second place mention for Best Restaurant Design.
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Other concession operators that received overall awards in ARN’s concessionaire categories and have store or restaurant locations at DTW included:
HMS Host - 1st Place for Best Food & Beverage Brand Operator
(for concepts including Chili’s, Starbucks, Fox Sports Bar and more)
The Paradies Shops - 1st Place for Best Specialty Brand Store Operator
1st Place for Best Retail Store Design – Brooks Brothers
1st Place for Concessionaire with the Highest Regard for Customer Service
1st Place for Best Airport Retailer
Airport Wireless / Palm – 2nd Place for Best Specialty Retail Brand Operator
2nd Place for Best Overall Retailer
2nd Place for Best DBE (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) Operator
Borders Group – 2nd Place for Retailer with the Highest Regard for Customer Service
Brighton Collectibles – 2nd Place for Best Retail Store Design
CNN Newslink - 2nd Place for Best Small Specialty Retail Brand Operator
“We are extremely proud of our concessions program, management team and all the hard working employees that have made our program so successful,” said Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Lester Robinson. “The importance of having quality concessions at our airport facilities has never been more apparent in the industry, and it is truly gratifying to have our accomplishments recognized by our industry peers.”
“With the opening of the McNamara Terminal, now just over five years ago, our team has worked extremely hard to listen to our customers, add new and innovative store and restaurant concepts, and create what has become one of the best, most diverse airport concession program experiences in the world,” said Myrna Mendez Director of Concessions & Quality Assurance for the Wayne County Airport Authority. “We couldn’t have done it without the help of our diligent staff and many operator-partners, that continue to help us shine on a daily basis.”
Detroit Metro Airport’s award-winning McNamara Terminal concession program is known by travelers, and across the industry, for its large diverse offering of airport stores and restaurants that appeal to all. From familiar national brands like Borders, Brooks Brothers, Tumi Luggage, Airport Wireless/Palm, Chili’s, Max and Erma’s and Starbucks; to local favorites like the Motown Music Review, Pangborn Design Collection, The Coffee Beanery, Mediterranean Grill, Rio Wraps and Online Café; even kid-friendly concepts like PB&J, KidZoo and more; the terminal is filled with a vibrant and eclectic mix of opportunities for all.
The McNamara Terminal houses nearly 90 stores and restaurants and recognized an increase of more than 33% in its concession sales per enplaned passenger in 2005, the highest one-year percentage increase of any of the top 50 revenue producing airports as reported by Airport Revenue News. In addition to the recent ARN awards, the airport’s McNamara Terminal was also recently Voted Best Food & Beverage and Best Retail/Specialty Programs in 2006, by Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA) and was recognized by Airport Revenue News as the Best Overall Single Terminal Concessions Program in 2004. The terminal has also finished among the top three healthiest airports in the country for the last three consecutive years by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine in their annual survey, largely due to the airport’s innovative partnership with the Henry Ford Heart & Vascular Institute and DTW’s HeartSmart® program.
The full list of ARN’s Best Airport Concessions award winners will be published in the company’s upcoming March issue. For additional information about the awards visit
http://www.airportrevenuenews.com or contact Pauline Armbrust at ARN @ (561) 355-8488.
